Medical tampon



Nov. 15, 1932.

J. M. SPIELBERG ET AL 1,887,526

' MEDICAL TAMPON Filed Nov. 2, 1931 BY Q ATTORNEY 35 the tampon.

positioning of the tampon, cooperates in the Patented Nev. 1s, 1932-v UNITED STATES JOSEPH I. sHELBEnG AND ABRAHAM GooDs'rEIN, or BRooxLYN, .New Yom:

unnroAL TAMPON Application led November 2, 1931. Serial 'N'o. 572,604.

This invention relates to tampons for use these layers to form an absorbent material in stopping wounds or for use inthe control of hemorrhages in physiological canals, or

for use in the application of medicament to the interior of the body passages. The invention will be fully understood from the following description' read in conjunction with the drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is a side view of a preferred embodiment of our invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross section through a preferred embodiment of our invention.

Fig. 3 is a segmental view showing in part a cross-section and in part a longitudinal section through a preferred embodiment of our invention.

Fig. 4 is a side view of la modification of' the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 3.

Fig. 5 is a side view3 of an alternative form of our invention. j

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of a part to be used with the construction shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a composite side view with parts in section through a further alternative form of our invention, and i Fig. 8 is 'a side view of the construction shown in Fig. 7. A In one preferred embodiment, the tampon 1 which we have invented comprises a longitudinal stiffener 2 of bibulous paper. While the stifener is preferably parallel to one diameter of the tampon, the'tampon itself is preferably of greateg length than breadth and the stifener is parallel to the lengthJ of The stiifener facilitates 'the ,absorption .of'fluids by the tampon in use, Vand is so softened by the uids absorbed that after use the tampon'will bend to the form 40 of the body canals or passages, thereby permitting the easy removal of the same. While,

in general, any form of'bibulous paper may be employed for the stiifener 2,we have found a substantially unsized laminated paper to be distinctly preferable.' The paper may be composed of either cotton or wood fibres or a mixture of the two. The paper is fabricated by laying down a relatively thin layer of substantially unsized fibres on a paper making machine and combining a plurality of of exceptional value. One type of ,this material is ordinarily referred to as cellulose tissue. While the material just referred to possesses exceptional absorptive capacity, it 55 is not of itself eminently satisfactory for use in forming the matrix of a tampon, inasmuch as' it tends to shrink or diminish in bulk when wetted. In forming the matrix or absorptive center of our tam ons, we therefore find it preferable to combine the unsized laminated paper with an auxiliary material which, although it may possess somewhat lesser absorptlve capacity, simultaneously manifests a lesser tendency to shrink when wetted; thereby imparting elasticity to the matrix of the tampon while simultaneously insuring that the tampon as a whole will retain su stantially its original bulk or size.

The auxiliary material may, for example, be 70 l sponge rubber or a mat of unwoven fibres, such as cotton. We have found wool to be eminently satisfactory for this purpose. In this broad aspect of' the invention the orientation of the bibulous paper is not essential 75 and the paper need not necessarily be longi- ,tudinally arranged so as to insure the stifl'ening effect hereinbefore described. Preferably,y however, the paper and the auxiliary material are arranged in alternate layers.

This may, for example, be accomplishedl7` forming them in alternating concentric rings, but in the preferred form the paper has a spiral crossfsection with the unwoven fibres of wool laying between the folds of the paper spiral and continued to at least partially and preferably to wholl surroundthe same. The wool mat has been indicated by numeral 3 in Figs. 2 and 3.

We also find it p referable, in combination with a matrix of the type described, to` surround the said matrix with a porous envelope of insoluble material which serves to hold the same together and facilitate the convenient removal of theI same asa unit after sack may be slipped over the assembled stiifener 2 and mat 3, and the withdrawal string 5 isthreaded through the channel 6 formed'in thegedge of the sack 4 so that the withdrawal string may be operated as a purse string by leading extremity 8 of the tampon. The

skirt 9ti (Fig. 4) ofthe thimble vis preferably 'shorter than the tampon. The eect of this construction is that Vwhile the thimble facilitates the introduction of the tampon,

v enou h of the surface of the sack 4 is expose to holdthe lsame in place when fully introduced.

In a further improvement of our invention, the leading extremity 8 of the tampon (Fig. is surrounded by the thimble 10 which 1s of material disintegrable. under body conditions cf., soluble'in body fluids.

The thimble 10 is preferably made smaller than the diameter of the tampon when fully expanded, so that the thimble holds the tampon in compression and is secured thereto. The thimblev 10 carries a second thimble 12 which extends in the same direction as the thimble 10 and telescopically overlays Ythe thimble 10, thereby forming the space or cavity 14 within which` the medicament 15 maybe carried. The medicament may, of course, be either solid, semi-solid or fluid and if solid 'may be in .powder form. In this case it will be seen that the head 16 of the thimble 10 forms the floor of the space 14. The outer thimble 12 is also composed of material soluble in body fiuids. The skirt 17 ofthe outer thimble 12 is preferably of such a length that when the two are' assembled it does not extend beyond the lower edge 13 of the thimble 10. As a result of this con-4 struction, it will be seen that only the thimble 10 is in contact with and is secured to the tampon 1, whereas, the thimble 12 which is not secured .thereto may be manually detached from the thimble 10. This is particularly desirable, inasmuch as the tampons are to be supplied to pharmacists, etc., for general distributions, whereas the type of medicament required is ordinarily specific to the particular case and by virtue of the construction disclosed the pharmacist is enabled to open thevcapsules and to introduce any prescribed medicament.

The foregoing specific embodiments have been recited by way of illustration and not v of limitation. The invention is susceptible of embodiment in a variety of forms, and it r is therefore our intention that the invention be limited 'only vby. theappended claims wherein we have endeavored to claim broadly all inherent novelty. l

We claim:

1. A tampon, comprising an absorbent matrix, a first thimble composed of material disintegrableunder body conditions at least in part surrounding the said matrix and holding the same in compression, a second thimble composed of materialdisintegrable under body conditions facing in the same direction as thefirst said thimbletelescopically overlaying the said first thimble and manually detachable therefrom, the space between said first and second thimbles forming a capsule for, the retention of medicament, the head of the said first thimble forming the floor of the said capsule. g'

2. A tampon according to claim 1, in which said first and second thimbles are composed of material soluble in body fiui'ds.

3. -A tampon, comprising an absorbent matrix, a porous envelope of insoluble material enclosing said matrix, and a thimble of material disintegrable under body conditions at least in part enclosing said envelope.`

4. A tampon according to claim 3, in which the said thimble is composed of material soluble in body fluids.

5. A tampon, comprising an absorbent matrix, said matrix^being composed in part of bibulous paper and in part of a resilient permeable mat of unwoven wool fibers associated with said bibulous paper, said tampon comprising in addition a porous envelope of insoluble material enclosing the said matrix, and binding together the saidbibulous paper and wool. 'l

6. A tampon, `comprising, an' absorbent matrix of greater length than breadth, said matrix comprising: a longitudinal stifl'ener of bibulous paper parallel to the length ofsaid matrix, and a resilient permeable mat of unwoven wool fibers associated with said bibulous paper, said tampon comprising in addition a porous envelope of insoluble material enclosing said matrix, and binding together the said bibulous paper and'ma-t of unwoven fibers.

7. A tampon, comprising an absorbentv matrix of greater length than breadth, said matrix comprising a longitudinal stifi'enerof bibulous paper parallel to the length of said matrix, and a resilient permeable mat of un,- Woven wool fibers associated with said bibulous paper, said mat and stiffener being arranged in alternating layers, said tampon comprisingl in addition a porous envelope of insoluble material enclosing said matrix, and binding together said bibulous paper and mat of unwoven fibers. y

ABRAHAM GOODSTEIN.

JOSEPH M. SPIELBERG.

elo. 

